Staple former and stitching machine



April 17, H MOTT STAPLE FORMER-AND STITCHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 11, 1954 attorneys April 1956 J. H. MOTT STAPLE FORMER AND STITCHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1954 3nventor JZMEZ 170??" W W attorneys April 17, 1956 MOTT STAPLE FORMER- AND STITCHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 11, 1954 m m 1W7 W Jzm$r (Ittornegs 1219 M4 WW/ 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 J. H. MOTT STAPLE FORMER AND STITCHING MACHINE 3maentor fpizmfl 170i?" attornegs United States Patent 6 F STAPLE FORMER AND STITCHIN G MACHINE John H. Mott, Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pa, assignor of one-half to Athos D. Rossr, Hampden, Mass.

Application May 11, 1954, Serial No. 429,058

7 Claims. to]. 1 zs The present invention relates to staple forming and stitching machines and more particularly to a mechanism for shaping a wire into a staple suitable, among other uses, as a terminal for an electrical conductor when clinched, for example, to a paper or cardboard coil core, or other suitable insulating material.

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for shaping a measured length of wire into a staple of predetermined shape, such mechanism being of simple construction operating faster than any such machines heretofore in use whereby cost of manufacture is materially reduced.

Another object is to provide a staple forming and clinching mechanism wherein a length of wire is cut, shaped into staple form and clinched to a material during one stroke of an actuating unit.

Another object is to provide a staple forming and clinching mechanism under the control of a driven rotatable member whereby each staple is formed and clinched during one revolution of the driven member.

A further object is to provide a staple forming and clinching mechanism wherein wire shearing means are provided in association with a bending bar carrying relatively movable shaping and clinching dies combined with drive bar means operating the dies independently of the bending bar while permitting separate operation of a shaping blade, all of the parts being controlled by a common means for timed operation.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of adjustable means whereby the effective stroke of the shaping blade may be altered independently of the drive bar.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the staple forming and stitching portion of a wire stitching machine with the operating parts in the position they assume when the crank pin of the drive gear has moved clockwise 30 from the vertical center line;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the guide bar;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the drive block;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the drive blade;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the drive block taken as indicated on line 7-7 of Fig.5;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 9, showing the lower portion of the forming and stitching parts as positioned by the crank pin in its thirty (30) degree position;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section view on line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 9a is a diagram showing the position of the crank pin corresponding to the operating parts position of Figs. 8 and 9;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view on line l010 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 8 with the parts in position to start the formation of a staple;

2,741,766 Patented Apr. 17, 1956 the parts as positioned to form the staple length into an inverted U-shape;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view on line 1414 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 14a is a digram showing the position of the crank pin corresponding to the parts position of Figs. 13 and 14;

Fig. 15 is a view like Fig. 14 showing the parts in position to form shoulder upon the staple length;

Fig. 16 is a sectional view on line 16-16 of Fig. 15;

Fig. 16!; is a diagram showing the position of the crank pin corresponding to the operating parts position of Figs. 15 and 16;

Fig. 17 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 15 with the parts in position to drive the staple through the article with which it is to be associated;

Fig. 18 is a vertical section on line 18-18 of Fig. 17;

Fig. 18a is a diagram showing the position of the crank pin corresponding to the operating parts position of Figs. 17 and 18;

Fig. 19 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 17 showing the position of the parts while collapsing the side walls of the staple and clinching the staple to the article;

Fig. 20 is a vertical section on line 29-20 of Fig. 19;

Fig. 20a is a diagram showing the position of the crank pin in bringing the parts to the position shown in Figs. 19 and 20;

Fig. 21 is a diagram showing the steps of downward movement of the guide bar of Fig. 4, corresponding to the respective crank positions of Figs. 9a, 12a, 14a, 16a, 18a and 20a;

Fig. 22 is a diagram showing the steps of downward movement of the drive blade of Fig. 6 corresponding to the indicated crank positions; and

Fig. 23 is a diagram showing the steps of downward movement of the drive block of Fig. 5 corresponding to the indicated crank positions.

Referring to the drawings, one form of the present invention is shown as assembled in the head 10 of a wire stitching machine, such head 10 having a vertically disposed through groove forming a guide for a wire cutting and bending bar 11, which slides therein and carries at its lower end a shear blade 12. A cover plate 13 is attached to the face of the head 10 as a retainer for the bending bar 11. The wire 14 is fed from a conventional roll by any well known means to travel horizontally across a fixed shear plate 15, for delivery across the path of the lower end of the bending bar 11 and rest upon an anvil 16 of a shape to form a staple of the desired configuration. In the present instance, the anvil 16 is of inverted T-shape having an arcuate topped stem over which the wire is to be shaped. Also the anvil 16 has an angular extension 17 mounted upon a pivot 18 fixed to the head It) so. that the anvil can be swung out of the path of certain operating parts when completing the clinching operation of a staple. Normally the anvil 16 is biased to a horizontal operating position by a plunger 20, projected from the head 10 by a compression spring 21 and bearing against a lateral shoulder 22. The arcuate rounded top edge of the anvil 16 is shaped to form the desired staple head contour and lies in the path of a vertically slidable shaping blade 24 which. while moving down, effects the displacement of the anvil as shown in Fig. 20.

In order to straddle the anvil 16 and initially bend the wire thereabout, the bending bar 11 is bifurcated at its lower end to provide two push bending jaws 25 and 26, which are spaced apart to define the width of the selected staple. This bifurcate portion has its juxtaposed faces respectively slotted to form guides for a pair of shaping and drive dies 27, attached at their upper end to a laterally extended base 28 having an upwardly disposed socket 39 to seat the lower end of a compression spring 31. The upper end of this spring 31 seats in a socket boss32 on the side of a drive bar 33, so that as the bar 33 moves down on its operating stroke, the spring 31 transmits the motion to the pair of dies 27. The shaping blade 24 forms a continuation of the bar 33, being adjustably secured thereto by a pin 34, which passes through an elongated slot 24a formed therein. A springbiased detent shown at 24b serves to maintain the pin 34 in one end of the slot during machine operation. Adjustable means in the form of aset-screw 33a carried in the drive bar 33 is adapted to engage the upper end of the shaping blade during the working stroke. This arrangement in effect constitutes a lost-motion device which by adjustment of the screw 33a prescribes the extent of downward travel of the blade 24 during theshaping operation. Such variations in effective stroke length are useful when forming staple crowns of configurations other than that illustrated.

The shaping blade 24 also carries a laterally disposed pin 35 which, projecting rearwardly, underlies the base portion 28 of the die member to form a stop upon which the base 28 seats under pressure of the spring 31. Thus the drive bar 33 in moving down, transmits its motion through the relatively stifi spring 31 to carry along the dies 2? until the latter are stopped by pin 23a hereinafter described, whereupon the shaping blade 24 continues to move to complete the final shaping operation. The

material 36 is positioned across a suitable clinching block 37. In this connection it should be noted that the blade 24 is dimensioned to ride freely between the dies 27 as guides, while the spacing of the dies is such as to straddle the wire as bent down along opposite sides of the anvil. Also in the particular embodiment shown in thedrawings, the forming end of the blade 24 is of arcuate contour complemental to the opposed face of the anvil 16; a1- thoughthis is not necessary as hereinafter pointed out.

A pin indicated at 28:: is provided to limit the downward travel of the shaping and driving dies 27, 27 thus protecting the article from destructive pressure build-up due to the follow-up motion of the shaping blade 24 immediately after the clinching operation. The pin 28a projects laterally from the rear wall of portion 28 of the drive die member and engages an elongated slot or recess 2% in the head 10. The arrangement is such that the pin engages in the bottom of the slot at the instant of completion of the clinching operation, thus immobilizing dies .27, 27 against further travel relative to the drive bar 33 which continues to advance the shaping blade 24 to the position shown in Fig. 10.

As a means for actuating the bending bar 11, and the drive bar 33 in timed relation, a driving gear 38 is journalled on a horizontal axis 39 in the head and carries an eccentric crank pin 40, which forms a pivot connecting an end of each of two links 41 and 42. The opposite end of the link 41 is pivoted upon a pin 43 projecting from the side of the bending bar 11, and the opposite end of the link 42 is pivoted upon a pin 4 projecting from the side of the drive bar 33. Thus a timing toggle func tions in response to rotation of the gear 38 to reciprocate the respective bending and die operating parts with the result that all bending, shaping, clinching and final shaping takes place during a single revolution of the gear 38. Combining all of these operations into a unitary one materially increases the speed of stitching. Thus as seen in Pig. ii, a turn of the gear through a forty-five degree angle causes the shear blade 12 to sever the measured length of wire while the bendin bar 11 comes into contact with the wire at opposite sides of the anvil 16. A'

positioned to penetrate the article or material. Another thirty degrees turn now causes the drive bar 33 to lower the blade 24, while also, through the spring 31, bringing the dies 27 to the position shown in Fig. 15. During this lowering of the blade 24 it picks up the anvil 16 and swings it about the pivot 18 out of the'path of the dies 27. The next thirty degree turn causes the dies 27 to drive the wire through the material as shown in Fig. 17. The final thirty degree turn not only causes the dies 27 to clinch the staple ends in the material but also brings a relative continued downward movement of the blade 24 to press the staple loop into final shape with an indented neck portion. Thus for one half turn of the gear 38 a length ot'wire is cut to measure, bent, shaped into a staple and clinched as a projecting post upon an article or material.

it will now be apparent that a complete unitary staple forming and clinching mechanism has been devised wherein a common means operates sequentially a bending means, a die clinching means, and a staple shaping means, such common means being actuated by one revolution only of a rotatable driven member.

While a particular configuration of staple is illustrated and the complementary profiles of anvil and shaping blade to produce it, it will be obvious tiat other configurations may be obtained by varying said profiles. As an illustration a V-nosed shaping blade might be employed to make a staple having a heart-shaped crown. Or a flat-faced anvil and shaping blade would produce a rectangularly shaped crown on the staple.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. in apparatus for forming and driving a staple having a substantially flat body portion, downwardly extending leg portions, and an upwardly projecting loop portion formed integrally with the body portion; a wire cutting and bending bar having a pair of .spaced'apart downwardly projecting push jaws operable to bend the staple leg portions downwardly, a pair of shaping and drive dies slidably mounted inwardly of said push jaws for relative sliding movement therewith operable to engage the staple body portions adjacent said leg portionsand drive the staple, and a shaping blade slidablyrnounted between said shaping and drive dies for relative sliding movement therewith operable after the staple is driven to forceably engage the staple loop portion and collapse the same inwardly. V i a 2. In apparatus for forming and driving a staple having a substantially flat body portion, downwardly extending leg portions and an upwardly projecting loop portion formed integrally with the body portion, means for feeding a predetermined length of staple wire, a wire cutting and bending bar having a pair of spaced apart downwardly projecting push jaws operable to cut the wire into the desired length and bend the opposite ends of the wire downwardly to form the staple leg portions, a pair of shaping and drive dies slidably mounted inwardly of said push jaws for relative sliding movement therewith operable to engage the staple body portions adjacent said leg portions and drive the staple, and a shaping blade slidably mounted between said shaping and drive dies for relative sliding movement therewith operable after the staple is driven to forceably engage the staple loop portion and collapse the same inwardly.

3. In apparatus for forming and driving a staple having a substantially fiat body portion, downwardly extending leg portions and an upwardly projecting loop portion formed integrally with the body portion; a wire cutting and bending bar having a pair of spaced apart downwardly projecting push jaws operable to bend the staple leg portions downwardly, a pair of shaping and drive dies slidably mounted inwardly of said push jaws for relative sliding movement therewith operable to engage the staple body portions adjacent said leg portions and drive the staple, anvil means intermediate the shaping and drive dies operable to be engaged by the body portion of the staple during downward movement of said shaping and drive dies and form said staple loop portion, a shaping blade slidably mounted between said shaping and drive dies for relative sliding movement therewith operable to engage and close the staple loop portion after the staple has been driven, and resilient means interconnecting the shaping blade and the shaping and drive dies operable upon downward movement of said shaping blade to resiliently force said shaping and drive dies downwardly.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 including resilient means mounting the anvil to retract said anvil out of the path of travel of said shaping blade in response to pressure exerted thereon by said blade during its downward movement.

5. In apparatus for forming and driving a staple having a substantially fiat body portion, downwardly extending leg portions and an upwardly projecting loop portion formed integrally with the body portion; a wire cutting and bending bar having a pair of spaced apart downwardly projecting push jaws operable to bend the staple leg portions downwardly, a pair of shaping and drive dies slidably mounted inwardly of said push jaws for relative sliding movement therewith operable to engage the staple body portions adjacent said leg portions and drive the staple, anvil means intermediate the shaping and drive dies operable to be engaged by the body portion of the staple during downward movement of said shaping drive dies and form said staple loop portion, a shaping blade slidably mounted between said shaping and drive dies for relative sliding movement therewith operable to engage and close the staple loop portion after the staple has been driven, and actuator means operable to actuate said push jaws, shaping and drive dies and shaping blade in sequential relation first actuating the push jaws to bend the staple leg portions downwardly and thereafter actuating the shaping and drive dies and shaping blade to form the staple loop portion, drive the staple and collapse the staple loop portion inwardly.

6. In apparatus for forming and driving a staple having a substantially flat body portion, downwardly extending leg portions and an upwardly projecting loop portion formed integrally with the body portion; a wire cutting and bending bar having a pair of spaced apart downwardly projecting push jaws operable to bend the staple leg portions downwardly, a pair of shaping and drive dies slidably mounted inwardly of said push jaws for relative sliding movement therewith operable to engage the staple body portions adjacent said leg portions and drive the staple, anvil means intermediate the shaping and drive dies operable to be engaged by the body portion of the staple during downward movement of said shaping and drive dies and form said staple loop portion, a shaping blade slidably mounted between said shaping and drive dies for relative sliding movement therewith operable to engage and close the staple loop portion after the staple has been driven, first actuating means operable to force the push jaws downwardly to bend the staple leg portions downwardly, second actuating means interconnected with said shaping blade operable after actuation of said first actuating means to actuate said shaping blade and said shaping and drive dies downwardly and force said shaping and drive dies into contact with said staple body portion adjacent the leg portions and drive the staple and thereafter forceably engage the shaping blade with the staple loop portion to collapse the same inwardly, and resilient mounting means for said anvil operable in response to pressure exerted thereon by said shaping blade during its downward movement to retract the anvil out of the path of travel of the shaping blade.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said first and second actuating means comprise a driven rotary crank, two links pivoted on said crank, means pivotally connecting one of said links to said wire cutting and bending bar, and means pivotally connecting the other of said links to said shaping blade, whereby one revolution of said crank operates to shape and drive the staple.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,958,739 Bliss May 15, 1934 2,179,036 Fischer Nov. 7, 1939 2,271,395 Hunt Ian. 27, 1942 2,480,542 Brehm Aug. 30, 1949 2,530,811 Cook Nov. 21, 1950 

